Different Sides
by halfpeeledbanana
Summary: The night at Malfoy Manor goes a bit different. Bellatrix retains Hermione as Harry and Ron escape. What will happen to Hermione now that she is the Malfoy's 'guest'
1. Chapter 1

The sensation of falling brought her jarringly awake.

With heavy breath she surveyed her surroundings. She was suspended by her hands, both shackled and above her. Her feet hung off the ground and were also shackled together. She tried to look around, but was difficult. Her body was the sorest it had ever been and she was so hungry.

Her eyelids drooped at the severity of her predicament. She was still imprisoned.

She had seen Harry, Ron, and Dobby vanish in the air, but Bellatrix had still had a fist wound tightly in her hair and broke the feeble connection Ron had on her hand. She remembered the feeling of his fingers slipping through her blood coated ones.

She didn't remember anything after that, but supposed she was taken here. She knew she wasn't in the dungeon; she caught sight of drawn curtains against a window in front of her.

A door opened behind her and she tensed. "Ah, you are awake," the voice was smooth and dangerous and she recognized it immediately. She closed her eyes as she felt a hand against her lower back, the fingers kept contact as he walked around her.

She looked up when he settled in front of her. She was at his eye level. His expression was quietly observant, as if he was surveying a new piece of furniture he just purchased, and not the seventeen year old hostage. He rubbed his hands together as he continued to regard her with…something. His expression had been wiped clean of emotion as he touched her again.

She realized then she was only in her underclothes. A wild fire of panic unleashed itself in her stomach and lower back as he touched her. He ghosted his hands all across her torso and up her arms, as well as down her thighs as his silver eyes bore into her brown ones. Instead of moving around her, he stepped closer as he felt up her back and neck. His hands came back around and wrapped lightly around her neck. She hissed as his skin contacted the open wound that Bellatrix had opened up.

She closed her eyes as a relaxation took over her system. She realized lazily that Malfoy had been rubbing a salve onto her tortured skin.

"Why?" she asked with a crack of a voice. He seemed to flinch at the parched sound, as if hearing it caused him to feel just as dry as she did. He seemed to produce a glass of water out of nowhere and held it to her lips.

"Do not ask me why." His velvet voice caressed the flesh of her cheek and swirled in an air of subtext in her ear. She shuttered at the implications. _Why? _Why was he doing this to her? Why was he helping her, why was he taking care of her?

She drank the water anyway; she almost wished it held a poison. It would be a serene escape from the hell she was in. She drained the glass but did not die. He filled the glass again with a pitcher. She now noticed a table next to her that held several different items.

When she finished that glass he sat it down and reached over her head. He took hold of the chain she was suspended from and pulled gently downwards. She lowered slowly and her cold feet touched the even colder ground. Her weight was transferred onto her unsuspecting legs and she fell.

He caught her with hardly a hair out of place. His arms wrapped strongly around her as he lowered her into a chair that was next to the table. Her shoulders screamed out in protest as her arms were lowered and her hands sat in her lap. She tried to sit herself up, but the Cruciatus curse had sapped all her strength.

After a moment of hesitation, Malfoy removed the shackles from her hands with a flick of his wrist, and he sat the plate of food in front of her. She looked up at him, as he looked down his nose at her. "Eat." He said, but there was an underlying hint of pleading, as if he was imploring her not to question. Not to hesitate.

She took up the spoon and ate the soup. She again hoped it held a poison just to give her an out. She only got a third of the way through when her stomach protested the food's presence and she sat back. He looked at the meager amount she consumed and closed his eyes and looked away for a moment, as if this was hard for _him_.

She looked around and then down at herself, nearly naked and covered in grime, dried blood, and cold sweat. She felt a tear leak from her face and then looked back up at him, "please," she implored him, "kill me." He looked down at her with a ferocity that startled her. He knelt in front of her and took her face in his steady hands. He leaned in close and looked between her eyes with a flick of his.

"You have to be _strong_." He told her, "you _have _to make it through this." He looked warily towards the door and then pressed his lips caringly to her forehead. "I will get you out of this, but you must, _must_, stay strong." He stood then and left the room in a flurry of his cloak.

Hermione felt the spot where his lips touched her skin with a shaky hand and she closed her eyes. She didn't understand what was going on. She didn't understand why _he_ was helping her. She was a prisoner in his house, was tortured by members of his family. It didn't make sense.

After a while, her stomach settled and she finished the rest of her soup. She went to the curtains and pulled them away to see the view of the inner courtyard of Malfoy Manor. There was no one outside and the sun was high in the sky. They had been captured near sunset, so that meant she had been here an entire day, if not more.

She used the light she received from the sun to search her prison for a means of escape. The door knob and window latches burned her palm when she touched them and there were no other places to look through. The room was barren if not for the table, chair, and chains hanging from the ceiling. The walls were black, the floor was wooden.

A few hours later she curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

* * *

**This fic isn't much like my other one...in fact the only two things they have in common is that I wrote them, and it is Dramione. I appreciate anyone that takes the time to read and review!**

**This will be Dark, and will involve some bits of torture, and later on lemons (appropriate ones), which is why this fic is rated M, and will stay that way. I don't want to mislead anyone going into this fic. I have most of it written already.**

**Enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I have most of this fic already written, so the updates will come pretty regularly (of every other day, or sooner if I have time. Let me know what you think!)**

**J.K.R. owns these characters and this universe, I have simply twisted it.**

**There is some humiliation torture going on in this chapter, but not tooo graphic. Read at your own discretion.**

* * *

At midnight her door opened again. The sleeping girl was woken by her hair being taken hold of. She was dragged from the room, kicking and clawing at the hand in her hair. She fought to get to her feet, but was not able to.

The trek was painful but short—thankfully. She was taken back into the parlor. There the Malfoy's waited for her. Bellatrix released her hair and went to go stand next to her sister. "You see my Dark Lord, we have Hermione Granger," She said with a flourishing gesture. Hermione pushed herself up to her knees and hands as she realized there was someone sitting in the high backed green leather armchair. Voldemort.

She met eyes with him, and yet somehow could not find it in her to be afraid. Her eyes flicked to Malfoy as his words echoed around in her ears, _be strong_. She had to be strong. Voldemort drew his wand from within his robes and lifted her with a silent spell. She was suspended in the air; her toes just touched the floor. She wished she could move to cover herself, her bra and underwear her only protection.

Voldemort let out an airy sigh as he looked at her, "Bellatrix, this is your handiwork," he said not as a question, just an observation. She tittered happily. "Why is it you kept this one, a mudblood, and let Harry Potter escape?" He asked, his snake eyes turning to her. She looked unsure for a moment and then looked at the girl.

"She was leading the boy. We checked her wand, she had been casting all of the spells that kept him hidden from us, and she also used a hex to bloat the boy's face so we could not recognize him. She is the brains behind the operation and without her, they will fall into our hands again, my Lord." Bellatrix spoke as if she had rehearsed this moment. The Malfoy's stared at her without an emotion or care. Voldemort brought Hermione closer to him, her toes dragging on the ground.

"Is that true?" He asked Hermione. She set her jaw, and sent the message she would not speak. With a small flick of his wrist, Hermione felt something close around her like a cloud of air—only it made it impossible to breath. She tried to move, but his spell held her paralyzed as her lungs began to cramp from lack of oxygen and abundance of carbon dioxide. Her face began to turn red and he released both spells. She fell into a heap at his feet and forced air into her lungs. He touched the back of her head with his wand and uttered, "Legilimens." Hermione knew that he only spoke the spell to scare her momentarily.

She tried to block her mind, but she felt his cold fingers sort through her memories of Harry Potter. Of meeting him, of helping him get the Sorcerer's Stone, in helping him solve the mystery of the Basilisk, of taking him back in time, of the Triwizard Tournament, of creating Dumbledore's Army, her work at the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and helping him find the Horcruxes. Voldemort withdrew from her mind with a satiated hiss.

"It seems the Boy Who Lived would be much less of a nuisance without the aid of this Mudblood." The Cruciatus Curse he cast on her was silent so she had no warning. She writhed on the floor, her breath caught in her throat in a silent scream. "A single Mudblood threatens to unravel my entire empire. Just. One. Mudblood." With flicks of his wrist the word _Mudblood _started to write itself into her skin. Droplets of blood dripped from the cuts and she cried out at each new line. They appeared on her arms and legs, and stomach and upper chest. When he let the spell end, she had fifteen bleeding words across her body.

She collapsed onto the floor and with a tired wave of his hand, Voldemort had her carried back into her room. Her prison.

Malfoy sat her carefully into the chair and took up a vial of potion; he smoothed the potion over each of the bleeding words. It stopped the bleeding, but did not heal the words. He knew if he healed them, he would be discovered. "Don't," she moaned, "don't be nice to me." Her voice left her throat with hardly a move of her lips.

"It will be over soon," he promised, "after he—he leaves, I will get you out." He pressed a soft kiss again to her forehead and left.

She may have slept, but she was woken again when she was carried magically from the room. The magic holding her kept her from opening her eyes. She was carried into a room that was full of murmurs. The murmurs silenced themselves as she cleared the doorway. She was sat down onto a stone surface. When the spell was lifted, she could open her eyes but she was paralyzed everywhere else.

People were around her, up and down both of her lines of vision. She was on a table, and they surrounded her. Her eyes landed on Severus Snape, who was right in front of her eyes on her left side. He kept his face still and blank, but in his eyes she saw his shocked panic and the concern at the image of her wounds. She was still clad in only underwear. Her new injuries clear for them all to see. Someone by her leg drug their finger across one of them and caused her to hiss in pain, this was funny to some.

"We are gathered here to celebrate this capture. For without this meddlesome _mudblood_ in our enemy's company, they will suffer greatly. She will be our guest for the evening, and after our departure she will continue to be a guest here, of the Malfoy's." Voldemort was at the head of the table, and spoke from upwards of her head, she could not see him. "Let this victory feast begin."

House elves brought in plates of food and pitchers of wine. Hermione was assaulted by the smells. As much as she tried to avoid looking at anyone, she kept finding her eyes boring into Snape's. He avoided her when he could, and didn't seem to enjoy his meal. She hoped he suffered as much as her. He killed Dumbledore and _betrayed_ _them_.

The feast seemed to last forever, to the poor girl, and as the wine flowed, the voices became louder and more boisterous. She kept hissing as hands groped at her wounds and her exposed flesh. The hands never lasted long but seemed to happen at regular intervals.

Eventually, however, Voldemort called an end to the meal. Hermione was left on the table as Voldemort left the manor as well. Severus Snape leveled his eyes upon her for an everlasting moment and then left as well. Other death eaters emptied their plates and their goblets onto her body. Wine was dumped on her face and spilled into her eyes.

As the last person left, the hall fell into silence. She felt the paralyzing body bind hex fall away and yet she did not move. She was humiliated, exposed, tortured, exhausted, empty, and utterly spent. She didn't feel anything left inside herself. She felt as if she was one of the dinner guests, looking down on the pitifully frozen girl that was covered in half eaten food and spilled wine.

Malfoy came into her vision and picked her up in his arms. No magic.

He carried her away as she limply hung in his arms. He carried her through an unfamiliar door and when he sat her down, it was into a bathtub. The hot water bit angrily at her wounds and she cried out. He uttered soothing words to her, yet did not remove her. He stepped away for a moment and when he was back, he had a rag, soap, and shampoo with him. He softly washed her. He washed away the wine in her hair and face, the food caked to her skin, and the dried blood. He washed it all away without whispering anything. When he pulled the drain at the bottom, he let her sit there as the water level dropped.

He wrapped her into a towel again and carried her out of the room and into a bedroom. He sat her down at the edge of the bed and left to get her some real clothes. When he emerged from the closet she had not moved an inch. He put the clothes in a folded pile next to her, but her eyes were empty and they saw nothing.

He put the shirt on her and the pants and charmed away her wet bra and underwear and magically replaced them with a clean pair. She didn't seem to register it.

He moved her against the pillows and put the blanket over her. He leaned down to kiss her forehead again. When he withdrew, her eyes were boring into his with a fiery passion, she gripped his collar with her bony fingers, "how can I be strong?" She asked, "how?"

He sank into the mattress next to her after she refused to let him go, and wrapped his arms around her. He held her like that as she silently cried into him—he realized she was crying only after the tears soaked through his shirt and touched his skin. He didn't know what to say. He had nothing to say after what she had experienced. Watching her lie their motionlessly killed something inside of him, as laying there had killed something inside of her.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he whispered against her hair, "I am so sorry."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all who have read and followed this story! I wrote this one after reading a few fics with the same plot, and I wanted to play with the idea as well. I will probably keep the chapters at this length (1100-1900) in length, just to drag out the story... I appreciate everyone's time!**

**Disclaimer; I am definitely not . This is Her universe, I am just playing in it.**

A few hours later the bedroom door opened and his father poked his head in, observing his son still cuddling the girl. His silver eyes drank in the image and it was something he would never forget, as he would never forget the things the girl had been put through the last few days.

When Lucius had been initiated as a Death Eater, he had been put under the Cruicatus curse and barely seemed to keep himself together after that; his fingers had never been perfectly steady since. Bellatrix and Lord Voldemort had both used the curse on her and she still seemed…well maybe not. She had woken at the sound of the door and was now staring at Lucius with impossibly wide brown eyes. They were empty though.

Lucius tried to fight off the shiver that crept up his spine but was unable. He pulled the door shut and walked back to his marriage bed with Cissa. The woman was still up at this hour, pacing back and forth.

"Oh Merlin, what have we done?" She asked around her handkerchief, "how could we let those things happen?" She asked no one, "that girl—" she sobbed openly then and sank backwards against a trunk. Lucius went to his wife and put an arm around her.

"We had no idea this was going to happen, Cissa," he cooed, "the snatchers were never supposed to actually find them," he said, "but we will make this right. We will mend her, and show her our change."

"But Bellatrix…" she trailed off, "my sister will come back to see her handiwork."

"The Dark Lord will keep her busy with finding Potter," Lucius was sure of it, "he made it clear our goal was just to keep the girl here, and that we will. We will keep her safe," he told her.

* * *

At the knock of the door, the resident walked carefully across the room and checked the peephole. A dark and looming figure was recognized and the door opened an inch, "the hell are you doin—"

"I have news," Snape interrupted the Weasley boy and pushed himself inside. The rest of the house guests withdrew their wands, but Snape already had in his hand a vial with silver contents.

"Do whatever you wish to me, _after_ you witness this." He urged them. Harry Potter was the first to step close to him, his wand outstretched. He took the vial and then stepped back and into the back room of the beach house. Snape was able to smuggle out Dumbledore's Pensieve from the Headmaster Office before Lord Voldemort went through it. Snape left the Pensieve where Kingsley would find it, and then it was passed to the last Order of the Phoenix Safehouse.

Harry dipped his face into the shimmering surface. Ten minutes later he pulled back and crossed the room again to look at Snape. "The entire time?" He asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper. Snape looked at the boy and nodded faintly.

"Yes," he said simply. Harry closed his eyes and looked around at the Weasley's, Luna Lovegood, Remus Lupin, and Tonks.

"He was working with Dumbledore. Dumbledore ordered Snape to kill him when the time was right." Harry began, "and Hermione is still alive." He let out a shuddering breath and dropped his face into his hands. Snape hesitantly put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Ron ran into the back room and stuck his face into the Pensive to see for himself.

When Ron reached that particular memory, he pulled himself from the object and let out a string of curses that his mother turned a ghostly white at hearing. "YOU JUST SAT THERE?!" The hot head roared at him. Snape let out a slow sigh.

"Or do what?" He asked. "I have passed on the information of her whereabouts, and that is all I can do for right now. My absence will be soon noticed at Hogwarts and I must return. Do take care with this information, Potter. Any rash decisions will have terrible consequences for the girl." With that ominous warning, Snape left the house and apparated away.

"What? What is it? Where is Hermione?" The questions flew from everyone. Ron was fighting back tears and could not respond. Harry rubbed his eyes again.

"She is still at Malfoy Manor. They've…tortured her." Harry said, tears slipping from the corners of his eyes at the image of Hermione laying still on the table, her eyes boring into Snape's, as others threw food and wine on her, the wine and food getting into the freshly cut _mudbloods_ that painted her entire body. Harry shook his head and bid the image get out of his mind, but it was burned into the backs of his eyes.

"We've got to get her out," the decision was made by everyone, and once Harry and Ron calmed down enough, they started to develop a plan.

* * *

Draco woke at first light. He cracked open his eyes slowly to find that Hermione was still curled into his side. She was shivering faintly so he pulled the blanket up further on her shoulders. She stilled momentarily, and then her fingers clawed into his chest at her nightmare. She let out a scream then, and Draco shook her awake.

As her eyes flew open, her fist connected with Draco's nose and he stood from the bed as blood dripped from his nostrils. Her memory came back slowly, and she looked sorry, but she did not get up from her spot on the bed. "Shit," Draco murmured as he fumbled for his wand. He fixed his nose with a _crack_, and wiped the blood away with his shirt sleeve. He sat at the foot of the bed, safely away from Hermione.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked, her voice cracked with new tears. Draco's eyes widened as he tried to figure out what she meant, "why be nice and then just sit and watch while they do…" She shook her head and buried her face behind her knees. She wrapped her arms around her legs.

"They are gone, Hermione," he promised, "It is just my parents and I. We won't do anything to you, I swear it. We…" he glanced around as if Bellatrix was hiding in the shadows, "we've switched sides. Snape knows. He came to my mother after he killed Dumbledore for me and told us everything." Draco looked down at the Dark Mark on his arm and he scratched at it, wishing it away. "We have been gathering intel and have been leaking vital information to the Order. Hermione, we picked up your trail when you strayed close to our land and tried to get the Snatchers to go somewhere else. Then you triggered the Taboo curse and we couldn't do anything about it." Hermione remembered the looks on the Malfoy's faces as they were led into their home. They had looked defeated, but only for a second. Draco had even lied to Bellatrix and said he wasn't sure if it was Harry or not.

It bought Harry enough time to escape, but not Hermione. Hermione let out a slow breath. "What happens now?" She asked.


	4. Chapter 4

"We'll heal you, and keep you safe."

"I can't leave." It wasn't a question. Her whiskey-eyes searched the room for answers, and plans, and consequences. "Your family wants to stay in his good graces. You won't openly defy him yet. The Order knows I am here though, don't they?" She realized why Snape stared at her so long before he left. "He showed them?" Draco made a noncommittal noise. Hermione got to her feet and was about to pace the room, but her muscles denied her that and she crumbled to the ground.

Draco was by her side immediately, "what is it?" He asked. Hermione gestured to her body.

"My muscles…cramped."

"It is a side effect of the blood spell…" Draco stood and helped her back into bed. "I'll be back with breakfast and a potion to help it." He gave her hand a small squeeze before he left.

As the door shut behind him, Hermione looked around the room and took in the actual surroundings. It was his room. The walls were Slytherin green, with silver snakes slithering about the walls magically. There were a few posters of some Quidditch teams Hermione had never heard of, as well as his flying broomsticks mounted to the walls. There were a few pictures, of him and his parents as he was growing up. There wasn't anything else that spoke about his personality.

When he returned, Lucius and Narcissa were with him. They conjured chairs for them to sit in as they watched her eat. "He has explained?" Narcissa asked her. The girl nodded her head but couldn't find her voice.

"I've taken the liberty of preparing rooms for you, across the hallway. The library is the next door down and the bathroom is located across from that. I will have clothes tailored to fit you so you won't have to wear…pajamas all day," Hermione realized she was wearing one of Draco's Slytherin practice jerseys. Hermione almost glared at him. Draco would have almost smiled.

"Thank you." Hermione managed, the weight of her thanks filled the air and left the Malfoy family a little uncomfortable.

"We…sadly cannot do much about your…" Lucius began, the word on her arm glaring at him spitefully, "as the Dark Lord will surely feel any magic administered to them. He has left hidden alerts for him before, to weed out sympathizers. We can, however, give you a potion to ease the pain and bandage them up the mug—non magic way," Lucius offered. Hermione looked down at her body decorations and then up at them and nodded a little.

"Can I go to the library now?" She asked quietly. She had finished her meal, slightly, and clutched the teacup in her hands. The adults nodded and left the two alone. Draco supported her shoulders as he led her to the Library.

"Is there anything you want, in particular?" He asked her. She looked around the room; the tall shelves that surrounded her breathed into her the first sense of safety.

"Anything," she said. Draco sat her down into a comfortable chair and when he came back, he had several selections.

"These are the textbooks for the Seventh Year," Hermione muttered as she looked over the covers. Draco nodded faintly.

"I know how much you like to read ahead in class, and how you would like to be in Hogwarts finishing a normal Seventh year." He said down next to her and looked over his N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration book. Hermione gazed at it and nodded faintly.

"We were going to be Head Boy and Girl, did you know that?" Draco asked looking at her, his eyes conveying something she didn't understand. Hermione looked away. "Snape found the letter's written out in Dumbledore's handwriting. He didn't send them out. He knew I wasn't going back, and that you wouldn't be back either." Hermione nodded as she looked through the N.E.W.T. level charms book.

"The Protean Charm…" She murmured as she opened the page up.

"You mastered that spell in Fifth year, right?" He asked looking over her shoulder. She nodded faintly and continued to flip through the pages. "I was jealous," he admitted, "I had tried to do it, after we found out, but I couldn't. I only got two things to link at once." Hermione glanced up at him, to see him looking at her in awe.

"You _are _strong, you know that, right?" He asked, taking her hand. She looked down at it and up at him. She still wasn't used to this Draco. His face hadn't once contorted to a scowl, or a sneer. He had been genuine and nothing but nice towards her. She couldn't fathom the change.

"I'm sorry I hit you in third year," she said suddenly, "not sorry for doing it, you deserved it, but…well…" she glanced away suddenly and he chuckled faintly.

"I had never been hit before," he said absently, "and hadn't been hit again until this morning." He rubbed his nose, a smile painting his lips faintly. "You have gotten stronger," he admitted. Hermione felt a grin on her face, despite herself.

"I'm sorry. I was still in my nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. Hermione looked down at her lap and then up at him.

"Why _this_ shirt?" She asked with a gesture. Draco was caught off guard faintly and looked down at it. He shrugged faintly.

"It was dark and I just grabbed something." Hermione leveled a glare at him and then looked back down at her chest. Non-verbally, and without a wand, she changed the shirt to be gold and red and the name across the back changed to Granger.

"You don't even like Quidditch," he complained faintly, but was still awed at her power. She didn't seem to notice her use of the spell and its complications.

"I don't like green, either," she replied.

"Well what colors _do_ you like? Other than Gryffindor red?" He asked as he turned himself in his seat to face her. She looked away as she thought about it.

"Purple," she said finally, "and blue."

"Periwinkle blue?" He asked with a tilt of his head. She looked at him with a small arched eyebrow. "Your dress…at the Yule Ball," he answered her silent question. A blush painted her cheeks.

"You knew the name of the shade of the dress?" She was clearly surprised. Draco shrugged and didn't offer and explanation.

"What is your favorite color, then?" She asked him. Draco thought about it, as he gazed around, his eyes landed back on hers after a moment.

"Chocolate brown," he said quietly. Hermione tilted her head to the side. He reached slowly towards her; his pace was him asking permission. She didn't move, so his fingers touched her cheek lightly, "your eyes," he explained, "I've thought about them since I saw them, on the train in first year," he honestly told her.

"That's ridiculous, you hated me."

"I hated my feelings. I was young!" He blushed and pulled his hand away. "I was stupid, so stupid. I had tried to be a part of something, but picked so wrong. Now…" he looked down at his arm, the mark was hidden by his sleeve. She lifted it and looked at the mark. "How can you look at it?" He asked in a breath. She looked up at him.

"We both have been marked by the war." His gaze flicked to the words that were showing on her arms. He knew where the others were. He had nearly lost face as Lord Voldemort carved into her, he almost jumped forward and ordered him to stop. It would have been disastrous, but as soon as she was drug into Malfoy Manor, Draco swore he was going to protect her.

Hermione leaned against him then, curled under his arm and into his side, "but we'll get through it, right?" She asked quietly. She felt him nod. He pressed his lips into her hair.

"Yeah. Together?" He asked. She curled her thin fingers through his and he closed his hand over hers. She nodded into his side.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you ALL so much for reading, following, and everything! I appreciate it all so much. There is an idea I took from a pin on pintrest. I don't know who came up with it, but it isn't mine; the second paragraph.**

**Harry Potter isn't mine.**

* * *

For the next hour or so, they asked each other random and inane questions about their personality and things they did as a child.

Hermione explained that her magic had first showed itself when she was watching a movie about a girl that had telekinetic powers—she had to explain what that meant—and that she had imagined she had it too, and a book shot across the room and landed at the foot of her bed. She practiced in secret from then on and then two weeks later, she received the letter from Hogwarts.

"I've never told anyone that," she said, her fingers had been drawing patterns on the back of Draco's hand as they had been talking. He smiled secretly.

"Why not?" he asked her curiously. He felt her shrug.

"I've…never had this sort of conversation before. It never came up," she realized, "I was always busy doing something else. Helping Harry and Ron with homework, or whatever bad thing was going on. We were friends, but I guess I never really got….close to them." The realization was almost shocking. Harry and Ron knew her habits and her studying preferences, and her magical capabilities, but she knew for a fact neither one of them had never asked what sort of dessert she could eat for the rest of her life. They never had those sorts of conversations.

"Well." He said, "when I had turned eleven, I hadn't shown any sign of magic," Draco admitted, "The first thing magical I did was on my twelfth birthday—it's why I am older than everyone…" he muttered, "I got my letter immediately after I levitated my birthday cake. My parents were so relieved." There had been a lot of tension and blaming going between Lucius and Narcissa when it looked as if Draco was going to be a squib.

"You always did seem taller than everyone," Hermione mused with an airy laugh. Draco grinned at her and then rested his head on the back of the couch.

"I was so jealous of you. No matter how much I tried, I could never be better than you. I was raised to believe that by being a pureblood, I was automatically better than everyone else, but someone like you constantly proved me wrong. It didn't help that I couldn't accept that I was—" Draco cut himself off. Hermione pushed herself up and looked at him questioningly. "I couldn't accept I was attracted to you…" he trailed off. Hermione's smile spread across her face slowly. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "What was that for?" He asked, a little bewildered.

"For…" she tried to explain, "everything." It was perhaps the vaguest thing she could have said, but Draco seemed to understand. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and whispered to her.

"Thank _you_, for showing me who I should be." Shivers crawled down her back and up again, but they were of the pleasant sort. Draco held her close like that for a while; she was absently drawing designs on his shoulders soon.

"You need to always do something with your hands, don't you?" he asked.

"I—I hadn't realized I was doing anything," she admitted. Draco chuckled faintly.

"I don't mind. It felt good." He ran his own hands up and down her back, to which she leaned in to the caress.

"Mister Malfoy, it is lunch time! Master Malfoy has requested you and Miss Granger's presence in the East Wing dining hall." The house elf poofed away immediately. Hermione sat up suddenly. The bubble of their pleasant conversation erupted. Draco stood slowly and stretched.

"I've other clothes you can wear," he said as he helped her up. She was stronger on her feet this time and didn't need his balance.

"Why, don't like me in Gryffindor colors?" She asked with an arched brow. He grinned despite himself.

"Maybe I just wanted my jersey back?" He asked as they left the Library. He led her down the hall and then down steps, through another hall. They briefly passed the parlor where Voldemort had carved up Hermione, and she tensed when she saw it. Draco put an arm around her shoulders and led her on.

She had never been to the East Wing, and when they crossed into it, she realized how _big_ this place was. The dining room he took her to was modestly sized, the table was square and would seat four. Lucius and Narcissa were already seated. Draco helped Hermione into a chair and sat in the other.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Narcissa asked her. Hermione actually smiled at her.

"Alive," she replied.

"Good," she replied, "I have had clothing sized and put into the closet of your new room." Hermione hummed her thanks around a bite of warm shepherd's pie.

"I would briefly like to discuss the plan for if we _do_ receive a visitor," Lucius interrupted. The delicious food in her mouth slid down her throat like mud and settled into her stomach like a rock. He looked apologetic, but Hermione nodded him to continue. "One of us or our elves will escort you immediately into the room you were first…in." He paused as he composed himself. " Then we will create a glamour of injuries…bruises and cuts…for it to look like your stay here isn't…"

"Like this," Hermione supplanted and he nodded. Draco touched her hand in support, but she didn't notice. She forced air into her lungs and looked between the three of them.

"Why do this?" She asked, her eyes closing herself off. "Why put yourselves at risk for me?" Narcissa reached over and took Hermione's hand firmly in hers.

"Because you don't deserve this!" The woman told her forcefully, it was the most emotion Hermione had ever seen out of her, "Because you are a brilliant girl who deserves so much more out of life than being treated like a…like…anything other than what you are. You are _good_, and if I do anything before I die, it is to make sure you get the life you deserve, and that my son is safe from the Dark Arts." She had so much conviction that she shook a little as she spoke. Hermione nodded her head slowly as tears rimmed her eyes.

"We have a lot to atone for," Lucius spoke up, "and we will begin to set things right with you, Miss Granger. Draco has always updated us on your instrumental involvement these past couple of years." The way Lucius said it caused Hermione to blush faintly.

"Thank you, I didn't mean to snap." Hermione felt a little ashamed of herself, but the three Malfoy's wouldn't hear of it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to everyone who reads! I really appreciate it! If you have any feedback to give, please don't hesitate to review!**

**Harry Potter is not mine.**

* * *

The rest of the meal went by quiet of conversation. Hermione was contentedly full. She asked if Draco could take her back to her room, so she could look through her new clothes. Draco hooked her arm and escorted her like a gentlemen. When she was inside her closet, she rifled through the dresses, all in shades of purple and black and gray. She realized they must be Narcissa's and they had been refitted for Hermione. Hermione found her purple handbag, with the undetectable extension charm and she looked inside it. She spotted her books still in there, as well as some of her own clothes, and potions she had brewed for their excursion.

She took out the copy of The Tales of Beetle the Bard and sat down. The Deathly Hallows, she flipped to the story of the Three Brothers and sighed; The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Invisibility Cloak. Hermione shut the book and changed into one of the purple dress robes that Narcissa supplied. It was a long dress and brushed the ground and had long sleeves. The front buttoned up from the waist all the way up to her throat, the skirt was multilayered. She felt the soft material and then pulled on some socks and black shoes. She left the closet to find Draco at the window, gazing out at the grounds of Malfoy Manor. He glanced over at her and then smiled faintly.

"You look relaxed," he told her as he moved away from the window to her. She grinned, despite everything.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" She asked. He nodded and then offered her his arm, she looped it with him and he took her back to the Library. Their books from before lunch were still there. Hermione sat down and Draco sat at the other end of the couch.

"Where is my wand?" She asked suddenly.

"In my father's study. Bellatrix locked it away and took the key with her. She left it there as a trophy," he admitted after a moment. She nodded faintly.

"At least it is not broken," she looked at the good news and went back to reading. Draco glanced up from the text at her words, and couldn't help but be impressed. Hermione simply impressed him. She saw the bright side of the complex situation she was in—it was precarious and they were all literally in danger. Yet she was happily reading with a strand of hair tangled in her fingers, and appeased at hearing her wand was still intact. There was no doubt in his mind that she was bone sore, both at the sites of the word cut into her body, but also from being suspended by her hands for nearly fifteen hours straight.

Draco didn't know if he could have pulled through like she did. She seemed in her own element, at the moment.

Draco realized he had been looking at her during his revere, and she slowly came to realize that as well. She lifted her eyes from the words in her lap without raising her head an inch; an eyebrow quirked in a silent question.

His silent answer was to blush and look back at his text. His own situation was difficult to get a handle on. He had officially changed sides to the Light—to the Order. The Dark Mark on his arm meant nothing to him, in regards to belonging like it did when he got the Mark. The Death Eaters did not care for him personally; he was a pawn in a war that would destroy the wizarding _and_ muggle world. He saw all of his bad decisions reflected back at him in the girl sitting next to him.

If he hadn't become a death eater, he convinced himself, she wouldn't be sitting next to him and a victim of torture. He was nearly as bright and clever as she was, and if he had been helping Harry Potter from the beginning alongside Hermione, then Voldemort would have been as good as dead. And yet here he was, almost a prisoner in his own home, pretending to still be the muggle-blood hating Death Eater he had been, and theoretically torturing the girl he was getting to know.

He liked her, he realized as his eyes drank in the Transfiguration text book yet his brain did not process the words. He _liked_ Hermione Granger. He had always found his eyes upon her figure during their years at Hogwarts. When she had been petrified in their second year, he had sat at her bedside a few times, when he knew Potter or the Weasel wouldn't show up. He had apologized to her a thousand times for calling her a mudblood, and wishing the Heir of Slytherin would kill her. He had said it because his 'friends' expected him to say it. He conformed to their idea of him, just so they would like him. He wanted friends desperately in those days, and yet he was too cowardly to be himself around them. He heaved a sigh, which drew the attention of his couchmate.

"Something wrong?" she asked, she leaned over and glanced over the texts he was reading, "N.E.W.T level Transfigurations does a lesson on becoming an animagus?" She asked curiously. Draco looked down at the text and nodded, in surprise.

He hadn't been paying attention to what he was 'reading.' "I wonder if McGonagall would have allowed some of the students to become registered animagus?" He mused, Hermione held out her hands, as if she would like to inspect the pages. He offered her the book and she took it to read, though she didn't move back to her side of the couch, she stayed against his side.

"The magic is very complicated," she muttered as she spoke aloud, "the process reminds me of a Polyjuice Potion…" she trailed off, he curiously looked at her.

"Slughorn or Snape never taught that in Potions," he said. Hermione looked up at him and blushed profusely.

"Er yeah…I've uhm…brewed it before."

"Really?!" He asked, turning to her, his posture demanded the story.

"You can't get mad." She said, his curiosity was peaked. "In second year we-Harry, Ron, and I suspected that you were the Heir of Slytherin….so I brewed the potion, stole some hairs from Crabbe and Goyle and snuck into the Slytherin Common room. I wasn't able to go because I accidentally used cat hairs instead of human hair, but Harry and Ron questioned you and that was how we found out you were innocent." When she finished the story, she was bright red and looked anywhere but at him.

He couldn't be mad because he was too damn impressed. "You…brewed a _Polyjuice Potion _when you were _twelve_?!" He demanded. Hermione nodded a little. "Daaaaamnnn…" he trailed off and then ran his fingers through his hair.

"So wait…" his head tilted to the side, "how did you get all the ingredients?"

"We stole them from Snape's private ingredient store," she answered honestly. Draco laughed faintly.

"Amazing," he said. She looked at him with a faint tilt of her head. He blushed a little.

"What is?" She pressed. Draco laughed to diffuse the tension growing in his chest, and touched her shoulder.

"You are." He said, she started to shake her head, "Hermione, you brewed a potion—and _advanced potion_ when you were twelve! Only a year after you even learned what a potion was! No one else could do that! I couldn't do that! I wouldn't doubt if I could even do that _now_! That potion takes a month to brew, and has so many intricate…" He trailed off because Hermione placed a hand over his mouth.

"I simply did what needed to be done." She didn't seem to like compliments. She took her hand away and looked down at the information about being an animagus for a moment and then handed the book back to him. Draco closed the book and then looked back at her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked honestly. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Like an old shoe. Stiff yet worn out."

"Would you like some pain relief potion? I found a Pepper Up potion recipe that didn't cause steam to come out of your nose." Hermione laughed at the image and nodded her head a little.

"And maybe some gauze too?" Her dress covered all of her injuries, but she felt them against the material and she didn't want to ruin it. Draco nodded and called for a house elf. The elf appeared and after he got the itinerary of what was wanted, he vanished and came back a few minutes later with all of it.

"You'll have to help me with the gauze," she muttered. Draco glanced at her and then blushed, despite himself. He nodded and she led him down the hall and back into her bedroom.

She shed the dress with slow and clumsy fingers and set it carefully against the bed. She was in underwear again. Draco unrolled the first bit of gauze and started with the first cut on her right arm. She held it away from her body as he wrapped it softly; sometimes his finger pads brushed her skin. When he finished that one, he moved on to the one on her lower arm. She didn't say anything, but watched as he slowly wrapped the words with the gauze. He walked around her to her other arm and repeated the process.

When her arms were done, he bent to his knee and covered the 'mudbloods' on her thighs and lower legs. The worst one was across her belly; it was thicker and larger than the rest of them. He bit his lip as he wrapped that one, having to encase her with his arms to transfer the roll of gauze. She put her hands lightly onto his upper arms as he worked. When he was finished with that one, he stood slowly. She kept her hands on his arms as he did so. She looked up at him, the few inches taller than her that he was, and whispered, "thank you."

Draco wasn't sure what possessed him to act, maybe it was the way her eyes glanced downwards at his lips a few times, but he leaned downwards and warmly pressed his lips against hers.

She did not tense, like it frightened her, and she did not push him away. Instead she molded her lips to his. Her arms lowered and wrapped around his waist, as he cradled her face in his hands.

They did not kiss for long, but it felt like forever. Hermione was the first to pull away, she pressed her face against his chest, and he wrapped her in a hug. "Are you alright?" Draco asked her, his voice barely loud enough to be heard. When she looked up at him, her eyes were wet with moisture, but she was smiling.

"I am," she replied, "…I am just happy."


	7. Chapter 7

**Harry Potter isn't mine. **

**I love you guys**

* * *

"Is there any way to get a message to her? To let her know that she is not alone?" Harry asked. Remus and Alastor Moody exchanged a look. Snape had secretly informed them of the allegiance of those in Malfoy Manor, but he requested that remain quiet, for their own safety.

"Not unless someone wishes to be captured—and _no_ I am not serious." Remus chided at the look on the boy's face. It had been four days since they had learned of Hermione's well-being. Large Death Eater movements at the moment stilled, but the Snatchers were still searching for muggleborns. Harry and Ron were desperately trying to find the location of the last few Horcruxes, but without Hermione, they could never decide on where to look. The Ministry was falling deeper and deeper into corruption and they knew they were running out of time before they would be too outnumbered.

"We need Hermione, Dammit!" Harry cursed and slammed his hands on the table. "There must be _some way_ we can get word into the manor to find her. A portrait? What about the invisibility cloak? Can't Severus pop in for a visit? Anything?"

Remus steered Harry out of the room and held the boy by the shoulders, "We will do the best we can, but _your _concern is the Horcruxes. You must focus on finding them and destroying them."

* * *

"They are healing nicely," Narcissa observed over dinner. Hermione had been their 'guest' for nearly two weeks. Hermione looked down at the exposed word on her right arm and sighed faintly.

"Yes, but there will be scaring." Hermione didn't like the idea of being painted with permanent 'Mudbloods' all over her body, but she knew as that as the scars got older, they would whiten and be hardly noticeable. However, _now_ they were atrocious.

"You are beautiful, dear," Narcissa assured her as she took the girl's hand in her own for a moment. Lucius didn't say anything, as he didn't generally speak about emotions, or other people, or anything at all. Draco smiled faintly at her and went back to his food.

Narcissa turned out to be a very caring and compassionate woman. She played the piano flawlessly and Hermione was graced with hearing her play soft melodies the past few nights. Draco would sometimes join in, but his spidery fingers—while great on a broomstick—wasn't as graceful on the ivories as his mother, but he did know a few songs very well.

Hermione had only a very small knowledge of piano playing, and only with one hand and about two keys at a time at the most. Draco had teased her a little about it, but Hermione reminded him that she could charm the piano to play itself better than he could.

Draco bet she couldn't, so Hermione proved him wrong by wandlessly charming the piano to play Beethoven's 9th symphony. Draco had never heard it before and had asked her if she had written it. Narcissa and Hermione had a good laugh about it.

Draco and Hermione spent most of their days in the Library, reading or just holding hands and talking. Draco consistently proved himself to be a very thoughtful and caring boy. Hermione discovered his love of different sorts of cheeses, and his favorite at the moment was Brie. Draco also had a fondness for owls and sometimes fantasized himself running an owlery, and maybe raising other animals for sell.

Hermione had professed her ambitions to rise high in the Ministry, and Draco had encouraged her to chase those dreams.

They had never kissed again, though, not after that first night.

"Thank you very much," Hermione replied to Narcissa, a faint blush on her face. She sometimes couldn't fathom the situation she was in. She was trapped in this house with the three Death Eaters-well Narcissa was never technically a Death Eater—that had switched sides and were actually treating her as an equal human being, instead of the garbage that any other Death Eater would have treated her like. She also was so very lucky because of the potential torture she was _not_ being subjected to by being with the Malfoy's. She was as safe from the bad guys as possible, in this situation.

* * *

After dinner, the three Malfoy's went their separate ways, while Hermione excused herself for bed. Draco walked her all the way to her room, and kissed her sweetly on the cheek once for goodnight. She gave him a quick hug and then slipped inside.

From the amount of torture the Death Eaters and Voldemort had put her through, Hermione fatigued quickly. She often went to be early, if the day's events were strenuous. She pulled on a comfortable shirt and shorts and slipped into the covers and fell asleep almost instantly.

Draco, on the other hand, spent some of the night after dinner in the Library. They had a habit of leaving out the books that they had read, and it vexed Narcissa. She had mentioned it at dinner, briefly, about the state of the Library. Draco had been putting the books back on the shelves when one of the books in his arms fell to the floor.

He put the other books back upon the shelves and then returned for the fallen one. It was the N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration text. He picked it up and a note of parchment slipped from it. Draco picked it up and inspected it. He didn't recognize the writing, but it could only be Hermione's. It was neat and small.

He realized the notes were about becoming an Animagus. His eyes widened, it seemed as if she had it figured out, and all she needed were the ingredients to a potion and then her wand, and she'd be able to do it. Draco folded the paper and put it into his pocket and put the book back into the shelf. Draco glanced around the Library, not seeing any rogue books lying about, and left to go to his room to inspect the list closely.

In his room, he locked the door magically and sat at his desk. The ingredients list wasn't extensive, but the items she would need weren't growing out in the garden. Draco made a mental note to go through his mother's potion stores to see if they had any or all of the ingredients, and if there were any missing, he would send a house elf out to get it. The wand, however…

Draco could potentially lend her his own wand, but he wasn't sure how his wand would respond to a different caster. Bellatrix had the only key to get Hermione's own wand, and it wasn't as if he could just write his crazy aunt for it.

Draco rubbed his eyes, he knew he wanted to help Hermione with this, she deserved it. If she managed to become an Animagus, she could escape and go into hiding. They would be punished for her escape however…

Unless they all did it. Draco hid the note in his desk and was about to leave his room when his father barged in. His eyes were alert and Draco could tell that his father had ran a bit.

"Draco," he began, "Bellatrix is here, wishing to see the girl." Draco's mouth fell open and before Draco could say anything, Lucius continued speaking, "You will _stay here_, no matter what you hear, understand? I will do my best to distract her, for the girl's sake, but she won't leave without…anyway, you _must_ stay here, understand?" Lucius gripped his son at the shoulders and bore into his eyes. Draco couldn't possibly keep up the charade of despising Hermione in front of his aunt, or any death eater for that matter. Draco's feelings for her had developed since she had been here, and his father and mother both noticed.

Lucius was trying to preserve their very precarious situation, and Draco could only nod. "Very well. Father, I need you to get the key from Aunt Bella. The key for Hermione's wand," Draco said quietly. "I have a plan, of how we can get out of this situation." Lucius looked from his son's eyes to the ceiling and let out a sigh.

"I will see what I can do, son, but Bellatrix has become unstable. Unpredictable." Lucius embraced his son and then left. He discreetly locked his son's door from the outside, and then also put a hex on the knob, so Draco could not leave. Lucius also silenced the door, to hopefully stop his son from hearing anything.

As Lucius stored his wand back into his walking stick, Bellatrix reached the top of the stairs. "The girl is sleeping now," Lucius told her. The grin that caked her face exposed her rotting teeth.

"Then let's wake her up." She said. Lucius had her wait in the hallway. Lucius went to the girl's bed and shook her awake. She woke with a start and sat up, the hairs on her neck standing on end. She looked at Lucius, and his black robes, and a rock sank into her stomach.

"Bellatrix is here," He said. He had the girl stand up. Lucius first changed her large comfortable bed with a dirty looking blanket and pallet on the floor; he got rid of any books or personal items in the room as well. Then he turned to her and removed all the bandages she had on, and glamoured a few bruises around her body. He gave her a black eye and added some swelling to it, to make it look fresh. Then he gave her a swollen lip, and some finger shaped bruises around her throat. Hermione hugged him faintly and Lucius whispered his regret into her ear as he nudged her to lay down. Instead, she sank down in front of him and cowered.

It was at that moment that Bellatrix stormed in, "How long does it take to kick the girl awake?!" The Death Eater demanded. Lucius glanced at his sister-in-law.

"She was unconscious, not sleeping," Lucius had no emotion in his voice at all. Hermione glanced up at the two of them and scooted away. Bellatrix strode forward and grabbed the girl by the hair and pulled her to her feet. Hermione struggled feebly, but 'had no strength.'

Bellatrix laughed as she stroked the girl's neck. Hermione hissed in pain. "Is this your work, Dear Lucius?" She asked, her eyes alight. Lucius made a noise in his throat.

"Draco's," he responded, "the boy has a particular avenue of…enjoyment. I've had to lock him away; he's brought her to death's door three times already." Bellatrix let out a pleased laugh.

"Has she revealed any more information? Anything of the boy's location?" She asked.

"Grimmuald Place is the only location she admitted having anything to do with the Order," Lucius admitted, "it seems she was kept away from important information. She doesn't know what the Potter boy is up to."

"Interesting." Bellatrix said, letting the girl fall to the floor. Hermione immediately scooted away from her. "I've things to tell you, let's leave this filth to her own devices." Bellatrix left the room, and Lucius followed behind her. He turned to look back into the room, to see Hermione smiling very faintly at him. He winked as he pulled the door shut.

* * *

**Just a forewarning, there will be some violence/torture next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I say it in my other fic all the time; but I seriously love you guys! I have only ever had support and love from my reviewers (and I see each Follow update email as someone giving me a big ole hug. I apologize for any grammatical or word usage errors that slip by me, but I really am a horrid editor when it comes to my own things. **

**I love you guys so friggin much!**

**And of course, J. Rowling invented Harry Potter and the 'verse, not me.**

* * *

As their footsteps receded, the magic Lucius had used on her room wore away and she sat at the edge of her bed. The bruises and swollen eye and lip didn't go away though, as those sorts of glamours lasted an hour or so. Hermione gingerly touched her eye. There was no pain, but it felt awkward. She nearly giggled in relief at their disguise. It _worked!_

The door flew open, and Hermione immediately shrank away, thinking it was Bellatix. The voice that swore, however, was male.

"What did they do to you?!" He demanded crossing the room. He took her face in his hands and looked at his father's work.

"It's not what you think," Hermione whispered to him. He looked at the bruises around her neck, and made a noise in his throat.

"It's just a glamour—they aren't real. Your father convinced Bellatrix that _you_ did this to me." She said, putting her hands over his. He let out a small sigh and rested his forehead against hers. "He informed her that you had a fondness for hurting me, and had nearly killed me a few times, which was why you were locked away and weren't in here with them." Hermione gently squeezed his hands.

"She believed him; we're okay." Draco sighed but nodded his head.

"I was so worried. My father silenced my room, so I had no idea what she was doing to you."

"She didn't do anything," she promised, "now you should go, seek them out." Draco gave her hand a squeeze and then left. Hermione sighed out as a torrent of emotions overtook her.

Draco found his father and aunt in Lucius' study, Bellatrix was examining Hermione's wand, she held it up with her index fingers. "Weak thing," she was saying as Draco walked in.

"Ah, Draco," Bellatrix said, sitting the girl's wand on the table she stood and went to hug her nephew. She pulled him in, and Draco had to hold his breath, so he didn't inhale her hair. She pulled back. "I hear you're making Hermione Granger's stay here a pleasant one." Draco forced a scowl upon his face.

"That Mudblood? I don't understand why she must live." Draco scowled again as Lucius made a _tsk_ of disapproval.

"You know as well as I do, Draco, that the Dark Lord wishes for her to remain alive." Lucius chided his son. Draco went to the kettle and poured himself some tea.

"The Order of the Phoenix has remained elusive so far, but that will soon no longer matter," Bellatrix was saying, "However, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley were nearly caught breaking into Gringotts."

"What on earth were they doing there?" Draco asked around his cup of tea.

"They had the audacity to break into _my vault_!" She declared with a fist pounding against the table in front of her. Hermione's wand rolled off the edge and disappeared underneath the chair Bellatrix was sitting in. She did not seem to notice, but the two Malfoy men did. "The Dark Lord had entrusted me with keeping an item of his safe, and the horrible boy stole it!" Bellatrix stood and started to pace the room, the Malfoy men exchanged a glance. What was the significance of the item?

"What was it that they stole?" Lucius asked curiously.

"It hardly matters now, Lucius!" She seethed as she paced, "once the Dark Lord finds out that they've taken it, he'll be furious with me! I did everything I could think of to hide it, but the boy found out somehow. But the question here is _how_?" She seemed to be thinking out loud, "_how _did the boy break into the bank?" She threw her hands up into the air in frustration.

"Would the Granger girl know anything about it?" She suddenly asked.

Draco snorted, "she's not had anything useful to say in _days_. And everyone thinks her to be the brightest witch of our age. She's a daft slag and is hardly competent with the magic she unrightfully has." Draco folded his arms across his chest in disgust. In all actuality, he had to hide his hands because they were shaking. Draco turned his back to Bellatrix for a moment, his anger and frustration was clearly painted on his face. He gazed out of the window, and tried to stomach all his true emotions.

"Are you sure, Draco?" Bellatrix asked him. Draco nodded stiffly and she let out an upset noise.

"This is horrible. The boys managed to escape on the back of a dragon. They only took the one item. If they manage to destroy it, I'm as good as dead." Bellatrix let out a frustrated yell. Lucius tried to get her to explain what she was talking about, but she refused.

"I am going to question the girl. Maybe you just weren't asking the right questions." Draco went to protest, but Lucius interrupted him.

"I will go and fetch her; Draco go to your mother. She has work for you to do." Lucius implored his son with his expression—which Bellatrix couldn't see. Draco scowled as he left the room, his hands shaking even more now.

Bellatrix laughed and waited in anticipation for Lucius to fetch the girl.

When Lucius opened the door, Hermione was pacing the room. "Potter and Weasley broke into Gringotts and into Bellatrix's vault. Do you know why?" Hermione's eyes widened and she started to shake her head.

"No…" She mumbled. Lucius beckoned her to follow him.

"Bellatrix is convinced that you know something, so I suggest you think hard." Lucius said under his breath as they walked. Bellatrix was still in the sitting room, when she saw the girl she crossed the room and took her by the throat.

"How did Harry Potter break into Gringotts?!" Bellatrix demanded, her putrid breath stung the girl's eyes. Hermione's immediately clawed at Bellatrix's hands at her throat.

"How would I know?!" The girl demanded, "I've been here!" Bellatrix pushed the girl to the ground and conjured a very menacing whip from her wand. "I—I don't know!" She shouted.

Bellatrix lashed the girl across the face, the whip cracked loudly and the slice of skin bled immediately; the cut reached nearly from nose to ear. Hermione covered the injury with her hand, "_I_ _don't know!_"

Instead of asking the same question, Bellatrix asked a different one, "Why were they looking for one thing specifically?!" Hermione's eyes betrayed her realization and Bellatrix laughed in triumph, "How did they know?!"

"D-dumbledore…" Hermione said, "Dumbledore sent Harry to find the Horcruxes…to destroy them so You-Know-Who can be killed."

"How many has he found?" Bellatrix asked she sent the whip at the girl again, this time it wrapped tightly around the girl's wrist.

"F-four now," Hermione breathed out, defeated.

"Which ones?"

"The diary, the ring, the locket…and whatever was in your vault." Hermione said. Bellatrix released the whip from her wrist and pulled her to her feet by her hair.

"How many have been destroyed?" Bellatrix demanded.

"All three of them," Hermione whispered, "and they'd destroy the one they took from you quickly." Hermione couldn't help but rub it in her face. Bellatrix let out an enraged yell and backhanded the girl across the face, a ring of Bellatrix's cut into her cheek. Once Hermione landed in a heap on the floor, Narcissa and Draco walked in.

"Ah, Bella. You must be famished, I will have the elves prepare you something."

"Alas, Cissa, I must go. I have news for the Dark Lord," Bellatrix embraced her sister, and with one last scowl towards the girl, she left.

The three Malfoys and Hermione remained frozen until they heard the great front door open and thunder shut.

Draco collapsed next to Hermione and inspected the cuts on her face and the one around her wrist. They weren't very deep, but looked painful. "What are Horcruxes?" Draco asked her, genuinely curious. Hermione drew in a deep breath, as if she didn't want to reveal the information.

"They are artifacts that can house a bit of one's soul, so that in the event of death, they still live. It is how…how he is still alive today." Hermione allowed Draco to help her to her feet. With a wave of his wand, he stopped the bleeding at her face and wrist. "Harry destroyed the diary in second year, Dumbledore destroyed the ring last year, and Ron destroyed the locket a month ago. I have no idea what Horcrux they took from her, but whatever it is, it is only a matter of time before they destroy that."

"How do you split your soul?" Draco asked, faintly confused. Hermione didn't seem willing to give this information but she sighed.

"Murder. The ultimate evil splits the soul."

"How many did he make?" Narcissa asked no one in particular.

"Dumbledore was convinced there were six of them," Hermione said. "They only have two more to find now." She smiled happily.

"Wherever they are, the Dark Lord will most likely go and retrieve them now…to protect them," Lucius observed. They all nodded faintly, "Draco, you said you had a plan?" He asked. The four of them took seats around the room.

"Well, it was sort of Hermione's idea," Draco glanced at her with a small smile, "I believe we should all become animagus." His parents regarded him with a flat expression, but excitement started to stir in Hermione's stomach.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you everyone for reading! Feel free to review more...Just saying. **

**I do not own Harry Potter**

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"If we were to take the forms of animals, we would be able to escape and go into hiding," Draco explained, "because if just Hermione escapes, the Dark Lord will punish us for allowing it, but if she stays here…" Draco closed his eyes as he thought of the dinner where she was the centerpiece, "they'll probably kill her." They sat in silence for a moment.

"I can't do it without my wand," Hermione spoke up. Lucius was seated where the wand was concealed and he reached down and picked it up. She looked infinitely surprised but took the proffered wand. She closed her eyes at the familiar device resting in her hands and smiled at her guardians.

"I checked the ingredients, and we have all of them." Draco said looking between his parents. Lucius and Narcissa exchanged glances, their roles as double-agents was wearing on them, and their hearts had extended to Hermione, and couldn't bear to see her hurt any longer. They nodded at the same time.

"Very well, we'll go through with this. How long should it take?" Lucius asked. Hermione didn't have her notes with her, they were in Draco's pocket, but she answered immediately.

"The potion takes three weeks to brew and after that, we each will have to cast the spell on ourselves. My research leads me to believe our animagus form is based off of the inner personality instead of preference, and we'll most likely take the form of our Patronus." Hermione glanced between the three of them who were now looking anywhere but at her. "Did I say something…?" She asked quietly.

"Dear, no, it's just that…well we've never been able to produce a Patronus, so we could potentially be anything." Narcissa finally admitted.

"That doesn't mean anything," Hermione promised, "When James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew became animagus, they took the form of something they needed to be. Peter needed to be something small, while the other two needed to be larger to be able to fend off Lupin in werewolf form." Hermione explained.

"I believe that because we need to become something conspicuous, that we will." She said firmly. The two adults thought about this for a few silent minutes.

"Very well, will you need help brewing the potion?" Narcissa asked, she knew she was talking to the two best potion brewers of their year. Narcissa was good with healing potions and not much else. Lucius was a horrid potion maker.

"No, thank you. I believe between us, we can do it," Hermione promised, "thank you so much!" Hermione said as she hugged the older Malfoy's. They sat surprised as Draco led her away so they could begin brewing the potion.

Draco prepared the ingredients as Hermione brought the cauldron up to boil, "so how do you think they knew to look in Bellatrix's vault for a Horcrux, or even what it was?" Draco asked. Hermione was quiet for a moment.

"When we were here…" she realized slowly, "Bellatrix kept demanding to know what else we stole from her vault. Of course!" She exclaimed suddenly, "She had thought we had already broken in there to steal the sword of Gryffindor; though she had been given a fake. The real sword revealed itself to us while we were in the woods. I can't believe I hadn't realized it before," she said, amazed as she put in the first two ingredients and stirred them ten times counter-clockwise. The potion took on the color of pumpkin juice but smelled like mud.

"You had other things on your mind," Draco informed her as he cut up one of the ingredients that needed to be added next.

"Be that as it may, I am glad they figured it out. And escaping on a dragon!" She laughed faintly, "not too subtle." She said as she changed to stirring clockwise. She counted out twenty-three rotations. The concoction then took a vivid green hue and smelled of fish scales. Draco dropped in the cut up ingredient as she stirred.

"What do you think the last two Horcruxes are?" Draco asked her. Hermione gazed into the potion and she shrugged.

"We've always suspected Nagini as being one," Hermione admitted, "but we've never been in a position to get rid of her," she admitted. Draco nodded in understanding.

"Once we become Animagus, you are going to seek them out, aren't you?" Draco stood next to her closely, watching her face. Hermione's eyebrows knit together and she nodded faintly.

"I have to," she responded, "they'll need me." Hermione finished the appropriate number of stirs. "In one week we will need to add the rest of the ingredients," she said looking at the clock and then she wrote down the exact time. Draco and Hermione remained in the room for a while.

"I don't want anything bad to happen to you." Draco said finally, as a silence had stretched between them.

"I can't just run away, not when the future hangs in the balance of the Order's succeeding. We've taken so many hits already, the Order needs everyone they can get." She said, taking his hand, "why don't you and your parents join us? You are all very talented duelists…what?" Draco had begun shaking his head.

"The Mark," he said, "if we were to reveal that we have turned, the Dark Lord could hurt us through the Mark."

"Wouldn't he do that anyway, once you disappear?" Hermione asked. Draco tilted his head to the side.

"Not if everyone believed us to be dead…" he trailed off as the idea struck him. Draco was going to elaborate, but a great yawn took Hermione at the moment and Draco realized what time it was.

"We will talk about it tomorrow; you need to get to bed." Draco helped her stand and escorted her up the stairs and to her room. She disappeared through the door and shut it with a soft click.

In Lucius and Narcissa's room, they had had a similar revelation. "It won't do to just disappear," Narcissa had said, "because He could just summon you both with your Mark, and inflict pain." She said. Lucius had nodded.

"But if the Manor was destroyed…"

"From the Order trying to retrieve their own…"

"We would just be assumed to have perished in the destruction of the manor." Lucius looked around at the room his parents had once occupied—as did his grandparents and so on. The entire Malfoy line had lived in this house. Could he destroy that?

If he didn't, however…Draco would not just let her go, he would follow her. Lucius knew his son well enough, and saw what he thought of the girl. He cared too much about her to just part ways once they took animal forms. If he did that, he would be a target of the Death Eaters for being a traitor, like Karkaroff. Lucius sighed, either he destroys the Malfoy home, or allows the name to die out. He nodded his head.

"Very well, we have to have the elves move some of our things to our second home—just to give us something left at the end of the war. And then once the transformations take place, we'll destroy the house." Lucius said and then kissed his wife goodnight.


End file.
